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+---
+title: "About"
+date: 2023-07-10
+draft: false
+---
+
+# About the Community Dispute Protocol Builder
+
+The Dispute Protocol Builder is a collaborative tool designed to help communities develop customized frameworks for addressing and resolving conflicts. Rather than imposing a one-size-fits-all solution, this tool empowers communities to create protocols that reflect their unique values, culture, and specific needs.
+
+## Why Create a Dispute Protocol?
+
+Every community experiences conflicts. Whether in neighborhoods, workplaces, cooperatives, online spaces, or cultural groups, disagreements and tensions are inevitable. Having a thoughtful, agreed-upon process for addressing these conflicts provides numerous benefits:
+
+- **Prevents escalation** of small issues into major conflicts
+- **Creates consistency** and predictability during challenging times
+- **Ensures fairness and transparency** in how issues are addressed
+- **Reduces harm** during the resolution process
+- **Builds community capacity** to handle future conflicts
+- **Strengthens relationships** by demonstrating commitment to healthy conflict engagement
+- **Embodies community values** in practical, actionable ways
+- **Provides guidance** when emotions are running high
+
+Without a clear protocol, communities often default to ad-hoc approaches that can amplify harm, reinforce power imbalances, or leave conflicts unresolved.
+
+## How the Builder Works
+
+The Protocol Builder guides you through creating a comprehensive dispute resolution framework using a modular approach:
+
+### 1. Start from Templates or Build from Scratch
+
+Begin with one of our pre-designed templates based on restorative justice, transformative justice, or consensus-based approaches—or start with a blank slate and build your own custom protocol.
+
+### 2. Customize Each Stage
+
+The builder walks you through six key stages of dispute resolution:
+
+1. **Preparation**: Establishing core values, principles, and participant roles
+2. **Initiation**: Defining how disputes are raised, acknowledged, and entered into the process
+3. **Exploration**: Investigating and understanding the facts, perspectives, and underlying needs
+4. **Deliberation**: Discussing potential solutions and working toward agreements
+5. **Resolution**: Finalizing, documenting, and implementing solutions
+6. **Follow-up**: Evaluating outcomes, ensuring accountability, and making improvements
+
+### 3. Mix and Match Modules
+
+For each component within these stages, you can select from pre-written modules or craft your own content. This modular approach lets you:
+
+- Choose elements that align with your community's values
+- Adapt the protocol based on your community's capacity and resources
+- Create a coherent process that addresses your specific needs
+- Ensure nothing important is overlooked
+
+### 4. Export and Share
+
+When your protocol is complete, export it as:
+- A formatted PDF to share with your community
+- A Markdown document for easy editing and version control
+- A JSON file that can be imported back into the builder for future updates
+
+## Design Principles
+
+The Dispute Protocol Builder is designed around these core principles:
+
+- **Accessibility**: Simple, clear language and an intuitive interface make this tool usable by anyone, regardless of technical expertise or familiarity with conflict resolution terminology.
+
+- **Flexibility**: Every component is customizable to accommodate diverse community contexts and needs.
+
+- **Comprehensiveness**: The tool addresses all aspects of dispute resolution, from initial values to final implementation.
+
+- **Educational**: Pre-written modules offer best practices drawn from various dispute resolution traditions.
+
+- **Privacy-Focused**: All work happens locally in your browser—no data is sent to our servers.
+
+## Who Is This For?
+
+This tool is designed for any group that wants to improve how they handle internal conflicts:
+
+- **Intentional Communities and Cooperatives**
+- **Neighborhood Associations**
+- **Activist Groups and Collectives**
+- **Small Businesses and Worker Cooperatives**
+- **Faith Communities**
+- **Online Communities and Forums**
+- **Educational Institutions**
+- **Non-Profit Organizations**
+- **Artistic and Cultural Collectives**
+
+## Get Started
+
+<div class="cta-container">
+Ready to create your community's dispute protocol? 
+
+<a href="/builder" class="cta-button">Start Building Your Protocol</a>
+</div>